Great American Songbook Saturday

One of the greatest men to tickle the ivories was born today 101 years ago. Oscar Peterson was born on August 15, 1925. He was born in Canada and  is considered to be one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time. He has released more than 200 recordings, is a winner of eight Grammy Awards and a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy.  He enjoyed a career that lasted over 6 decades!

One of his albums features him playing songs from the Cole Porter songbook. For this week’s feature, I’ve chosen Porter’s Begin the Beguine as the featured song. Porter wrote the song while on a cruise in 1935 and it was featured in the Broadway musical Jubilee. It was Artie Shaw who had the biggest hit with the song, which would become his theme song, in 1938.

For years I wondered what a beguine was. I had no idea that it was a dance. It is a dance that is similar to the rhumba, but slower.

Like all of the songs from the Great American Songbook, the song was covered by many artists. Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Harry James and Tommy Dorsey all covered it with their orchestras. Other versions were recorded by Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Elvis Presley, Perry Como Pete Townshend, Johnny Mathis, and Julio Iglesias.

First here is the birthday boy’s version:

Artie Shaw’s original recording:

The amazing Ella Fitzgerald:

Michael Buble’s cover:

Leave it to Johnny Mathis to make it a disco tune…

Mr. Tony Bennett

Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Band swings it!

It was featured in the Rocketteer and Melora Hardin (Jan on the Office) sings the vocal

Sheryl Crow really sings a sultry version here

When they begin the beguine
It brings back the sound of music so tender,
It brings back a night of tropical splendor,
It brings back a memory evergreen.

I’m with you once more under the stars,
And down by the shore an orchestra’s playing
And even the palms seem to be swaying
When they begin the beguine.

To live it again is past all endeavor,
Except when that tune clutches my heart,
And there we are, swearing to love forever,
And promising never, never to part.

What moments divine, what rapture serene,
Till clouds came along to disperse the joys we had tasted,
And now when I hear people curse the chance that was wasted,
I know but too well what they mean;

So don’t let them begin the beguine
Let the love that was once a fire remain an ember;
Let it sleep like the dead desire I only remember
When they begin the beguine.

Oh yes, let them begin the beguine, make them play
Till the stars that were there before return above you,
Till you whisper to me once more,
“Darling, I love you!”
And we suddenly know, what heaven we’re in,
When they begin the beguine